AVRAM Grant will begin the arduous task of trying to save Portsmouth’s season today after his position as new manager was confirmed by the Premier League’s bottom club.

Grant, 54, will be at the helm for tomorrow’s clash against Manchester United but, for the time being, he will work under the title of director of football.

According to Portsmouth, the switch to manager will be a formality, with the Home Office needing only to change the job title on his work permit. That should be completed early next week. However, Grant had to wait six weeks to receive his initial permit, which finally arrived yesterday .

Grant will take training today along with Ian Woan and Paul Groves, who were appointed joint caretaker managers following the dismissal of Paul Hart earlier this week.

He will need to quickly win over the players, who had huge respect for Hart despite their dismal league position. Grant will then oversee tomorrow’s game before preparing for a hectic spell that will include a Carling Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa on Tuesday and Premier League clashes against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal before the New Year.

Although Grant has already been scouring Europe for possible transfer targets, it is still not certain whether he will be able to strengthen his squad in the January window.

The transfer embargo imposed by the Premier League for non-payment of transfer fee instalments to Chelsea and Arsenal remains in place. Pompey will have to prove that payments are up to date before the ban is lifted, but so far they have not been able to supply such evidence to the League.

Of all the contenders to succeed Hart, Grant was the best equipped. He has had a wealth of managerial experience in his native Israel, including a spell as coach of the national team. He moved to England in 2006 to become technical director of Pompey before being appointed director of football at Chelsea in July 2007. Two months later, following the departure of Jose Mourinho, Grant was appointed manager at Stamford Bridge.

Despite steering Chelsea into the Champions League final, the League Cup final and contesting the Premier League title to the last day, his contract was terminated at the end of the season. He left with an impressive record of 36 wins, five defeats and 13 draws from his 54 matches in charge.

When he took the reins at Chelsea, Grant’s opening game was also against Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United – a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford. Eight months later he again faced United in the final of the Champions League in Moscow, Chelsea losing in a dramatic penalty shoot-out. It proved to be Grant’s last game in charge.

Now he begins a new reign, against the same opposition, but in entirely different circumstances.

Pompey have amassed just seven points from their opening 13 Premier League games. Although they are still only four points and an inferior goal difference from safety, their position became even worse this week when fellow strugglers Hull climbed to 15th after beating Everton.

But after brief spells under the guidance of Tony Adams and Hart, Pompey now feel they have the right man to resurrect fortunes. Chief executive Peter Storrie said: “Avram is a very experienced and respected manager who has managed at the highest level.

“The board believes he is the man to help steer the club out of the relegation zone. He knows the club, the players and the set-up at Fratton Park, so it was the logical move to make him the next manager, once the board had decided to relieve Paul Hart of the role.”

Last night Hart rejected the offer to stay on as technical director but could be set for a role at Tottenham’s academy.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp brought Hart in as head of youth when he was in charge at Fratton Park and has already raided his old club for coaches Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond since leaving.